Papers should cover the following topics:

1) Description of the particular problem or issue i.e., the nature of the problem, the extent of the problem (problem definition, descriptive statistics);

2)Discuss this issue in the context of diversity – cultural/ethnic/racial groups, gender, and socioeconomic status. Discuss commonalities and differences between groups on the issue you have selected (who is affected and how);

3) Using a bio-psycho-social approach, discuss risk and protective factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of the occurrence of the problem (ecosystems approach) AND Discuss the impact of this issue or problem on individual development (developmental impact);

4) Discuss how COVID-19 impacts this social issue or problem for those in Older Adulthood.

5) Discuss the implications for addressing this issue through social work practice and social policy. Please clear the topic with the instructor. Papers should be around 8 pages in length.

Choose ONE Suggested topics include:

1) Chronic Illness/ Disease / Physical Disability

2) Homelessness / Poverty

3) Depression/ Suicide

4) Elder abuse and neglect

5) Nursing Home Care

6) HIV & AIDS Late Assignment Grading Policy

The research paper will be evaluated using the following criteria:

1. The quality of your writing will count in determining your grade. You must carefully proofread your paper for typographical errors, grammatical errors, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and spelling errors.

2. Organization. The paper must begin with an introductory statement of purpose and an overview of the ideas to be presented. The ideas must be discussed in a coherent, logical, well- organized manner and must be supported by your own analysis, based on research findings and theoretical discussions from relevant literature. Citations and references must follow the manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) writing format.

3. The relationship of the topic to at least three of the following must be included: culture, minorities, ethnicity, race, sex, sexual orientation. Because this course focuses on trans-cultural issues, your paper must include the implication of the chosen topic for minority groups, people of color, and women.

4. Implications for social work practice and social policy. Each topic area has implications for practice, both for prevention and intervention and for social policy. These five aspects of paper writing are stressed in addition to substantive content. It is important that social workers know how to communicate with clients and other professionals in writing, which is concise, clear, organized, properly documented, sensitive to trans-cultural issues, and of concern to the profession of social work.

APA Format and Writing Requirements: All papers must follow the current American Psychological Association (APA) format guidelines(6th edition) with the following exceptions: the use of running heads is optional. All papers must use standard, 12-point fonts (e.g., Times Roman) and be free of typographical, formatting, spelling, and content errors, as the quality of the writing will be evaluated as part of the grade for all written assignments. Be sure to carefully review and edit all drafts prior to submission. All ideas, quotes, and information is taken or derived from other sources must be appropriately cited and referenced in accordance with APA rules.